Matt Kemp could still win the NL MVP

When the season began, Matt Kemp, who I think should have won the MVP in 2011, looked like a man on a mission. He was going to win the big award this year and carry the Dodgers on his back. His OPS, his batting average, his power numbers, everything looked like he was playing on another level.

The Dodgers were in first place and it seemed like every other game ended with a Matt Kemp homer.

Then his injury and time on the disabled list started. At first the Dodgers didn't miss a beat.
Then they missed beats, fat pitches and scoring any runs.

He is last game before going on the disabled list was May 30.
The Dodgers were 32-18, the best team in baseball.
In his absence they went 15-22, fell out of first and went nearly a week without scoring a run.

Kemp is back, he is hitting and extended the game with an RBI infield hit and won it with a walk off.

If the concept of "absence making the heart grow fonder" can help an MVP vote, then Matt Kemp's time on the DL showed just how valuable he is to the team.

What I am saying is, he isn't bad.

 

You got your money's worth in Dodger Stadium tonight!

Let's say you paid for a ticket to see tonight's Dodgers - National game in Dodger Stadium. How much bang would you get for your buck this evening.

What would you want?

1. Super hyped prospect making his debut? CHECK

2. A packed Dodger Stadium (games like this are better in front of a full house? CHECK

3. A game between (believe it or not) the two best teams in the NL? CHECK

4. Stephen Strasburg (who does look like Gollum) looking awesome? CHECK

5. A riveting pitchers duel between Strasburg and Chad Billingsley? CHECK

6. Harper getting an extra basehit and the potential winning RBI in his debut? CHECK

7. Controversy at the plate? CHECK

8. An idiot running on the field in the middle of a 9th inning rally? CHECK

9. A grade A closer meltdown, complete with the tying run scoring on a wild pitch? CHECK

10. Matt Kemp hitting a walk off homer to the "M-V-P" chant? CHECK (Bonus points for Kemp pointing out his mom during the post game interview.)


Not enough for you?
Then remember it was Maury Willis - Don Drysdale Bobble Head Doll.

That should be enough.

McCourt's Spending Spree

When Matt Kemp signed his insanely long contract extension, it struck me as odd that Frank McCourt was still front and center.

Isn't he about to sell the team?
Isn't the McCourt era coming to a merciful ending?

But then I thought "HE'S A GENIUS!"
Seriously, he wants to get good will going with Dodger fans so he's going on a spending spree.

Watch him offer Albert Pujols 20 years... and C. J. Wilson $19 million a year... and Jose Reyes part ownership of the team...

What does HE care? He's not going to pay for it! So walks out the door, having brought every big free agent to L.A. and it's up to Orel Hershiser or whomever takes over the team to sort it all out.

What a way to go!

Basically, Frank McCourt is leaving the Dodgers by recreating Brewster's Millions.

Imagine if this was happening on Labor Day weekend

The Braves and Red Sox are fighting for their playoff lives.
The Rays and Cardinals are charging and could pull off the amazing upsets.
The Diamondbacks and Brewers are homering their way to potential home field advantage.
Matt Kemp is putting on a show to earn the MVP.

It's an AMAZING end to the regular season.
And it's happening on a Wednesday at the end of September.

Most casual sports fans have moved on to football.
Most parks will be half empty.

Can you imagine if this were happening on Labor Day?
Before football has saturated the sports market... before people's attention has wandered...

Can you imagine if people were actually following baseball how big this finale would be?

But I said all of that already.

The Dodgers could clean up on Off Season Awards

It's funny, everything about the Dodgers this year seems like a catastrophe.
The Brian Stowe incident at the beginning of the year helped lead to the unraveling of the ownership.

Are they bankrupt?
Does MLB control them?
Will the Chinese Government assume control of the Dodgers?

The only thing for certain is that Dodger Stadium is all but empty and their season is lost.

And despite all of that, the Dodgers could find themselves bringing in some hardware when the season is wrapped up.

They have one major award all but in the bag and a few more wins in the final week of the season could net some more.

CLAYTON KERSHAW...
Cy Young Award Winner

Both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee deserve a lot of votes, especially for putting up stellar numbers in a pitchers ballpark.

And Ian Kennedy's emergence in Phoenix will get some voters attention.

But Kershaw is in line to win the unofficial Triple Crown (Wins, ERA and Strikeouts.) He has let up the fewest hits over 9 innings of any National League pitcher. His 0.99 WHIP is second only to Cole Hamel's 0.98 WHIP. And while I STILL don't understand WAR, he is tied with Cliff Lee with this highest WAR among National League pitchers.

Throw in his 5-0 record against the World Champion Giants (including winning 3 head to head match ups against Tim Lincecum) and he is all but a lock to win the Cy Young at age 23.


MATT KEMP...
National League Most Valuable Player

It's a taller mountain to climb for Kemp, but not because of his numbers.

His 9.0 WAR is the best in baseball.
He has the most total bases and run scored in the National League.
He is in the top 3 of Average, Home Runs, RBI and in the top 4 in OPS.

Only 5 sluggers in all of baseball have homered more than he has, and Chavez Ravine isn't the easiest place to crank them out.

While Ryan Braun might be the front runner, Kemp doesn't exactly have Prince Fielder in his lineup with him.

Plus he plays a Gold Glove caliber Centerfield. The Dodgers' non contending season could keep the MVP trophy off of his mantle, but I think he deserves is.


DON MATTINGLY...
National League Manager of the Year

OK, this one will be a stretch. Kirk Gibson has this all but locked up by sending a Diamondbacks team that NOBODY picked to the post season (assuming they don't fall apart.)

But give Mattingly tons of credit. This team had every reason to fold up tent and Donnie Baseball could have phoned this season in and NOBODY would have blamed him.

Instead, here they are with 9 games left and they are above .500!

Can you imagine if this team has a winning season? This was supposed to be the worst year in Dodger history and in terms of off the field stuff, it was. But in terms of the product on the field, it's not even the worst team of the last 2 years!

Mattingly deserves a ton of credit of focusing on the field and if he comes away with a winner, then the Dodgers have a bright future!

And by the looks of the potential hardware, their present was a lot better than anyone could have expected!

Things are more bleak for the Mets than the Dodgers

There were more players in uniform than fans in the stands in Dodger Stadium yesterday.
The team is a bankrupt embarrassment with a tabloid divorce looming over the team along with the Bryan Stowe beatings and its grotesque aftermath and MLB taking control of the team.

It sucks to be a Dodger fan.
It's worse to be a Mets fan.

I'll say it. The Dodger mess will be easier to fix.
If a new owner can be put into Los Angeles this off season, the good will in Dodgerland will come around the nanosecond the owner says "My name is NOT Frank McCourt."

The new owner will have a huge fan base eager to put their support behind the team.
AND they have a young MVP candidate in Matt Kemp and a young Cy Young candidate (and probable WINNER this year) in Clayton Kershaw.

Plus he plays in a Division where the Giants can pitch but can't hit, the Diamondbacks are great one year and bad the next, the Padres are great the other years and bad the next and the Rockies forget to contend before September.

In other words, the idea of being a power in the NL West isn't so far fetched. Just add competent ownership!

As for the Mets... well, their problems haven't featured obscene divorces and people in comas. But they HAVE had the biggest Ponzi Scheme in American History hamstring them.

And oh yeah, playing in the biggest media market in the country probably won't help them stumble to their third straight losing season.

And today we found out that David Einhorn, their great knight on a white steed, who was going to buy $200 million worth of the Mets and probably eventually take over the team and lead them to their greatest days ever, is saying "No Thanks."

The Wilpons are still in charge. The Phillies and Braves are still VASTLY superior. The Marlins have talent and will move into a new ballpark next year. The Nationals are developing talent and have the combination of Strasburg and Harper looming on the horizon.

What do the Mets have?
They have Jose Reyes' impending free agency where, once Albert Pujols comes off of the table, he will be the biggest available name.

They have David Wright who is a nice player but no longer a franchise player.
They have nice players like Dillon Gee, Ruben Tejada, Jonathon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Daniel Murphy.

All nice players.
Not exactly franchise players. Not exactly great building blocks to go past the Phillies, who seem hell to win their 5th straight Division Title and 3 pennant in that same period of time, or the Braves who have stockpiled amazing young talent.

If the Dodgers and the Mets could combine like Voltron, they would be a terrific team. Kemp, Kershaw and maybe Reyes with some nice complimentary players.

But they aren't one team. They are two big budget flops for 2011.
For 2012 and beyond, things are brighter in LA.

This "Being Controled By MLB" thing works for the Dodgers

The Dodgers were absolutely reeling. They went on a 5 game losing streak. (Only Tony LaRussa's inexplicable decision to pitch to Matt Kemp on Sunday afternoon kept it from being a 6 game losing streak.)

They were beaten soundly on Tuesday 10-1 by Atlanta.
Then on Wednesday, Bud Selig and company took over the team, shocked that Frank McCourt couldn't keep the team afloat financially. (Never mind the fact that Selig KNEW he didn't have the cash to keep the team afloat. Let's not let facts sneak into this.)

Since MLB took over the team?
They beat the Braves 6-1 on Wednesday.
They won with another Matt Kemp walk off shot yesterday.

And today they went to Wrigley and clobbered the Cubs 12-2.

The Dodgers are now above .500.
They are 3-0 after the take over.

Maybe Dodger fans shouldn't be so quick to see a new owner!